Slovak matters - The Slovak Spectator

The fruit of Slovak soil, the potato, forms the foundation of this guide.

Dialects: You say potatoes, I say grule...or švábky?

Around Košice, asking for a pipka will get you a pipe but elsewhere might get you a smack.

Eric Smillie

A very informal way of saying goodbye in Slovak, and rather quirky, is to say "pa" or "papa".

You say nazdar, I say dovi

From ships to Latin, Slovak's greeting vocabulary is rich and broad.

Jonathan Gresty

A brief digression about Slovak legs; they are an important linguistic resource.

How to get out of a conversation in a hurry

You might be jammed, whistling, or falling, preferably without a parachute.

Eric Smillie

Not everyone wants to be packed. My colleague tells me that men, often "aspoň trochu pod parou" ("at least a bit drunk"), have a habit of feeding her bad pick-up lines about how beautiful her eyes are.

Slovak romance: What to say when flirting, dating, or dumping

In Slovakia, you don’t just flirt – you "hook" (zháčiť) or "pack" (zbaliť). Here’s the slang you need to play the game – or decode it.

Eric Smillie

As for a few phrases pertaining to eating and food, a good one is that "I am hungry as a wolf" (som hladný ako vlk), though every time I hear it, all I think of is the Duran Duran song "Hungry Like a Wolf".

A Spanish bird made of beef

If you get hangry, you probably feel like a wolf when hungry.

Eric Smillie

There are a wide variety trees in Slovakia and a rich phraseology to go with them.

Strong as a beech, thin as a poplar

Trees provide a rich background for all kinds of Slovak sayings.

Conrad Toft

Honey on the tongue, poison in the heart

Hopefully powerful politicians learn that the handle will eventually fall off the water jug.

Eric Smillie

Cake with poppy seeds

What to make of mak

What to do when you don't like a beloved Slovak ingredient?

Conrad Toft

Slovník is its own reward

Reading the dictionary is also funny.

Tom Nicholson

Mikuláš príde na námestie.

Mikuláš or the Devil: Were you obedient?

In Slovakia, Mikuláš isn't just a jolly old fellow.

Tom Nicholson

Former Slovak PM Vladimír Mečiar

Vivat Slovakia: A language guide to independence

Written over 20 years ago, this article is surprisingly relevant to politics still today.

Tom Nicholson

Beware of striding into the Slovak kitchen and asserting yourself.

Slovak Matters: Slovak cooking lingo

Mixing up cesto (dough) and cesta (road/way/journey) may cause confused faces around you.

Tom Nicholson

Sick as a dog

Slovak Matters: Sick as a dog, or under the dog?

The social aspect of being sick has changed since the pandemic, but the language is the same.

Tom Nicholson

Slovak Matters: Hold your mushroom

Mushroom picking is Slovakia's favourite hobby, involving bugs, rain, cold, and poisonous fungi.

Tom Nicholson

The offer of burčiak, slightly fermented grape juice, is a specialty offered at grape harvest festivities in Slovakia.

Slovak Matters: in praise of burčiak

The activity taking place in a bottle of burčiak can cause internal September storms.

Tom Nicholson

Slovak Matters: learning with less trstenica and more internet

What a teacher will find in a Slovak classroom.

Tom Nicholson

The Trabant cars.

Slovak Matters: A 613 or bugatka car?

A litany of car expressions for you.

Tom Nicholson

Bojnice castle

Slovak Matters: A Slovak's castle is his home

The fact that Slovakia exists at all is in part testament to its castle-building tradition - and there are many.

Conrad Toft

Slovak Matters: Summer clothing - or lack thereof

Reflexive verbs are hard to remember, but they make the difference between, for example, soaking in the water and peeing in the water.

Conrad Toft

Many Slovak towns have quite descriptive names.

Slovak Matters: What's in a town name?

If someone tells you to go to Prčice, is that a good place to visit?

Conrad Toft

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